Absconding accused nephew re-arrested

Jaspreet Singh Jassa, the prime accused in the October 2012 murder of former Barnala MLA Malkit Singh Keetu, was rearrested from Kundli village on the Delhi-Haryana border, on Thursday. Tapa DSP Harwinder Singh Virk led the team that laid the trap.

punjabUpdated: Jan 23, 2014 22:41 IST

HT Correspondent Hindustan Times

Jaspreet Singh Jassa, the prime accused in the October 2012 murder of former Barnala MLA Malkit Singh Keetu, was rearrested from Kundli village on the Delhi-Haryana border, on Thursday. Tapa DSP Harwinder Singh Virk led the team that laid the trap.

As an undertrial, Jassa, a nephew of Keetu, had escaped from custody on November 15, 2013, by giving Patiala Police the slip at a dhaba in Jagrao, while being brought back to Nabha Jail from a court in Moga.

Jassa told the police that he had been hiding in hotels at Delhi, Mathura and Jaipur. He claimed that he escaped as Keetu's son was harassing his family.

THE HISTORY-SHEETER

Jaspreet Singh Jassa is accused of murdering former Barnala MLA Malkit Singh Keetu at his native village Bilaspur, on October 29, 2012. He was arrested on April 22, 2013, in Dera Bassi after an encounter. After his arrest, he had said: "Yes, I have murdered my uncle Keetu. It was not a planned murder. I have no regrets." He has more than 30 other cases pending against him.